2. Laboratory Automation Integrating equipment into a multi-vendor world

3. Programme INTRODUCTIONINTEGRATIONSCHEDULINGSMALL SYSTEMSHIGH THROUGHPUT SYSTEMSSUMMARYDATA HANDLING

4. Laboratory Automation Integrating equipment into a multi-vendor world Introduction

5. Your Presenter Malcolm Crook –Synthetic chemist –12 years in industry (BP) –19 years in automation –11 years running PAA –25 years writing software –Visiting Reader in Chemistry at University of Surrey

6. Laboratory Automation Integrating equipment into a multi-vendor world Integration

7. What do PAA offer Scheduling software –OVERLORD™ Workstation –OVERLORD™ Scheduler Systems integration expertise Data handling expertise –links to LIMS –links to databases wide range of peripherals

8. PerkinElmer products Pipetting robots Plate readers

9. Robots

10. Mitsubishi Long reach Dynamic vertical reach Dextrous gripper

11. Laboratory Automation Integrating equipment into a multi-vendor world Scheduling

12. Scheduling Two types: Real time scheduling –All decisions are taken during the time frame of the run –i.e. once the “GO” button is pressed Pre-emptive scheduling –All decisions are taken before the run starts –i.e. before the “GO” button is pressed

13. Real time scheduling Advantages: –flexible –decisions can be taken during the run –error recovery easy Disadvantages –accurate timings are more difficult to set up –two accurate timings in a run are impossible

14. Pre-emptive scheduling Advantages: –one or more accurate timings are guaranteed –easy to set up Disadvantages –inflexible –decisions can not be taken during the run –error recovery more difficult

15. Scheduling - the choice pre-emptivereal-time either

16. Laboratory Automation Integrating equipment into a multi-vendor world

17. Our Automated Systems complete solution using existing equipment complete integration with other equipment complete integration of hardware / software integrated data handling

18. FEATURES PC based, Windows 2000/XP full password and user identification full interfacing with LIMS via text files icon based, flow chart interface on-line context sensitive manual drag and drop setup European language support

19. OVERLORD™ flow diagrams hierarchical control interface instrument control general functionality connection to the outside world 21CFR user access expandability

20. flow diagrams Natural method of experiment description easy to understand easy to explain to another easy to check logic

21. All done comment Loop for n samples Action 1 Action 2 Next sample N = 3 loops N = 3 N = N + 1

22. comment Loop for n samples Action 1 Action 2 Next sample All done

23. hierarchical control Organised programming logical units of operations reusable procedures

24. OVERLORD™ sub unit 1etc.... procedural unit 1 procedural unit 2procedural unit 3 Main control loop sub unit 2sub unit 3

25. OVERLORD™ Pick sample plate from hotel etc.... dilute sample procedural unit 2procedural unit 3 Run sample preparation loop Place on Hamilton Pick blank plate from hotel

26. interface flow diagram analogue automatically filled in to aid programming interface follows Microsoft visual specifications

27. Information header about procedure Body of actions in procedure End of procedure Values & description at runtime Scroll around the procedure

28. Palette of available commands Toolbar of common functions

29. Information header about procedure Branching on condition Robot actiontooltips to aid interpretation

30. List of procedures for overview of complete method

31. Instrument control any device that can be controlled by –serial communications –switch on/off –variable voltage use of equipment native control software –with automation interface –without automation interface

32. Runtime full self documentation/audit trail data storage on server/local disc clear, easy to read runtime interface

33. Laboratory Automation Integrating equipment into a multi-vendor world Example of real time scheduling 1

34. Plate reading Process a stack of plates pass through a plate reader collate the results

35. Matrix PlateMate PlusHudson Plate Crane Plate reader Bulk dispenser Plate washer

39. Laboratory Automation Integrating equipment into a multi-vendor world Example of real time scheduling 2

40. MultiPROBE SWAP robot

41. PlateSTAK

45. Laboratory Automation Integrating equipment into a multi-vendor world Example of pre-emptive scheduling

46. Information header about procedure Toolbar of common functions Start with new assay for schedule

47. Start with plate types in assay

48. Fill in the assay nameDrag and drop the actions in the assay

49. Fill in the actions

51. optimise

53. Integrating a MultiPROBE II

54. Hit picking batch of plates stored in MolBank process plate for stage on Matrix Platemate plus Instruments –Jouan MolBank –PerkinElmer MultiPROBE II –Hamilton SWAP robot –Liconic plate store

55. MolBankMultiPROBE II Matrix PlateMate Plus Liconic storage

56. MultiPROBE IIHamilton SWAP

59. Laboratory Automation Integrating equipment into a multi-vendor world High Throughput Systems

60. System integration Same as all the other systems we have described OVERLORD™ software control package ability to use ‘large’ instruments

61. high throughput systems single computer control same OVERLORD™ interface maximum use of processing power require maximum throughput requires complex scheduling algorithms –expensive –complicated –difficult to set up

62. Very high throughput One PC cannot control everything processor switching on Windows inefficient –one instrument 100% –two instrument 140% (not 200%) Multiply processor system required

63. Our answer … Distributed processing NetLORD™ allows any number of workstations full efficiency of all workstations logical control unsophisticated control required –cheap to install –easy to understand

64. Laboratory Automation Integrating equipment into a multi-vendor world High Throughput Systems Ames II test

65. NetLORD™ New concept in multi instrument control uses standard Ethernet protocols full control of instruments over network reduced need for scheduling algorithms uses simple workflow control interface low cost to implement

66. Advantages uses same interface as OVERLORD™ PC / piece of equipment ensures throughput no timing problems redundancy can be built into the system

67. Bacteria addition Indicator addition Plate reader Incubator

68. PC peripherals KVM box 4 PCs Control of clients From 3 PCs Instructed from OVERLORD™ server

69. Laboratory Automation Integrating equipment into a multi-vendor world Data handling

70. Communication to the outside world Input –manual data input –experimental setup –text files, csv –data from LIMS –data from database Output –report/printer –data file, text file –data to LIMS –data to database

71. Data Handling Data can be handled with Microsoft EXCEL Microsoft WORD Microsoft VB Scripts Microsoft VB for Applications Microsoft Access Oracle SQL

72. EXCEL - data setup page

73. EXCEL

74. Laboratory Automation Integrating equipment into a multi-vendor world Summary

75. INTRODUCTIONINTEGRATIONSCHEDULINGSMALL SYSTEMSHIGH THROUGHPUT SYSTEMSSUMMARYDATA HANDLING Summary Summary

76. Information www.paa.co.uk –pictures –application notes –technical details –system descriptions PAA –info@paa.co.uk –+44 1252 373000